Nakheel & Tourism
In the last fifteen years, Dubai has seen remarkable growth with a ten fold increase in visitors resulting in 6.5 million in 2006. By 2015, Dubai aims to achieve 15 million tourists and Nakheel is playing a big role in increasing the tourism offer of the Emirate. Through the creation of a range of tourism facilities and attractions, from iconic landmarks, hotels and mega malls, Nakheel is defining Dubai’s tourism offer for decades to come.
Nakheel is showcasing its contribution to tourism in Dubai at the Arabian Travel Market 2008 where an impressive stand will preview a range of tourism facilities and attractions that will be located on Palm Jumeirah and Palm Jebel Ali.
The roots of Nakheel are founded in tourism. The Palm Jumeirah was created as a solution to the increasing need for beachfront in Dubai firmly establishing Nakheel’s roots in the tourism industry. One of the world’s premier resorts, offering a wealth of beachfront hotels, retail and leisure choices, the Palm Jumeirah will have approximately 14,000 rooms and an estimated 25,000 hotel guests. This is only one of Nakheel’s developments that are substantially adding to Dubai’s tourism offer with a second iconic landmark the World set to become a destination like no other with 300 man-made islands forming a map of the world on the Arabian Gulf. In addition to its residential and commercial developments, The World will house 40 islands dedicated solely to the development of high-end leisure and lifestyle resorts. Leading hotels, spa providers and resorts will come together to create a haven for tourists from every part of the globe.
Including Palm Jumeirah and the World, Nakheel is building 8 waterfront developments which when complete will add more than 1,000km of waterfront to Dubai’s coastline, double the number of hotels currently in Dubai and 50,000 marina berths that will create the best boating destination in the Middle East. Further, by 2012, Nakheel will be the largest shopping mall developer in the region, with 15 million sq.ft of retail space. Five new mega malls were recently announced which will each be tourist destinations in their own right.
A key part of Nakheel’s strategy is to attract world class entertainment and tourism brands to Dubai, such as Cirque du Soleil, The QE2, Atlantis, Worlds of Discovery and Trump. At this year’s ATM, Nakheel is showcasing some of these partnerships. Throughout the exhibition, a full programme of exhilarating performances from some of the most prominent tourist attractions soon to take up permanent residence on Palm Jumeirah and Palm Jebel Ali, will be presented. Visitors will be able to visit a walk through recreation of the lost chambers of Atlantis and see spectacular live performances by Cirque du Soleil and Worlds of Discovery.
